Carlo Ancelotti backed his Real Madrid team to compete with Barcelona for the LaLiga title, despite a 0-0 draw with Real Sociedad which left them five points behind the league leaders.
Madrid were the better side at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday, creating a number of chances, but were unable to take them with La Real goalkeeper Alex Remiro saving three times from Vinicius Junior.
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The result — which followed Barca’s 1-0 win at Girona on Saturday — left Madrid on 42 points, five behind Barca and three ahead of Sociedad in third.
“If we win on Thursday [against Valencia], we’ll have more points than we did [at this stage] last season,” Ancelotti said in his post-match news conference. “It’s a long season.
“January has been a difficult month but the team has grown a lot in every aspect, defensively and offensively, and physically. We can stand up to the battles of the next few months.”
